


Ursa Minor

by musikfurfreiheit



Series: The Pirate Universe [2]
Category: Delain (Band), Nightwish, Within Temptation (Band)
Genre: Gen, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 05:25:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5404673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musikfurfreiheit/pseuds/musikfurfreiheit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel To Treasure Island</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There was something about the air here. Maybe it was the smell of the town, or the smell of the other boats. It definitely was not the smell of the sea or the fish – maybe it wasn’t even the smell at all. It had to be the atmosphere, filled with memories and nostalgia. Charlotte remembered very well how she stood at the bow of the ship for the first time. The wind had been playing with her red hair, a few seagulls circling above her head and her father’s heavy hand resting on her shoulder. Right then she swore that one day, she would be the captain. She would be the boss of the ship and everyone would listen to her. And right now, she was the boss.

It wasn’t the same boat she’d been standing on as a little girl. She hadn’t picked the name and the same went for the crew. She hadn’t chosen these pirates and it was not her decision to sail to this town. None of this had been her choice, but she was the one in charge and that was all that mattered.

There only were a few pirates on the deck as she turned around. A few were replacing a piece of the railing that had suffered the last time some pirates had practiced their sword skills, and another was washing the windows, exactly like Charlotte had told them. She breathed in the atmosphere once more and smiled. Yes, it felt amazing to be the boss once again.

The melody that had been stuck in the redhead’s mind sounded once again on the deck. Charlotte spotted her sister on the other side of the boat, the only pirate that would never listen to her. No matter what she told her to do, Merel was stubborn and would do it her own way. She couldn’t blame her little sister. The girl always had to fight for herself and the pirate blood that ran through her veins made her damn good at it. If only she would put down that instrument every once in a while, Charlotte wouldn’t even mind it that much. Confidently she walked towards her sister and sat down next to her.

‘You’re enjoying this a bit too much,’ Merel said without looking up from her guitar.

‘No, on the contrary, I don’t enjoy you playing the same melody over and over again at all. You should ask Ruud to teach you something new.’

‘You know that’s not what I’m talking about. And I don’t need to ask Ruud, I can find melodies on my own.’

Not once did Merel look up from the instrument in her hands. Charlotte watched her play, watched how those delicate looking fingers danced over the strings. It looked so easy when she did it, but the one time Charlotte had tried to play the instrument when no one was watching, it had turned out be anything but easy.

‘Don’t you ever dream about it? Being in charge, having your own ship, an entire crew that listens to you…’

‘Nope,’ Merel answered as the last note of the melody slowly faded. ‘I’m perfectly fine with my position on this ship. The Flareon is my home… Do you miss the Black Feather?’

‘Sometimes,’ Charlotte sighed.

Both sisters recognized the silhouettes that were walking towards the boat. Floor and Sharon were followed by a handful of pirates carrying boxes, and the cook with a huge smile on his face. Markets were always a festival for Jeroen – it was the only place where he was the boss and decided what food would be bought. The amount of bananas that was carried on board was a lot larger than usual and Charlotte immediately made a mental note to steal one later today. Her stomach reminded her of the breakfast she skipped and Merel laughed, poking her sister before returning her attention to her guitar.

‘Funny. You’re no longer the boss and your human side returns immediately.’

Charlotte didn’t answer her. Until Merel said it out loud, she hadn’t even thought about what seeing Sharon and Floor meant. The Captains of the ship were returning, they no longer needed someone to look after the ship. Charlotte no longer was in charge. She took a deep breath and was disappointed that the air filling her lungs wasn’t the same anymore, as if it no more reached all parts of her body.

Sharon smiled as she stepped on board of the Flareon again and walked towards the two sisters. She looked over her shoulder once, checking if everything went well loading the food onto the ship, before she sat down next to Charlotte.

‘How did it go?’

‘Perfectly,’ Charlotte smiled. ‘It was nice to be in charge again, even if it was just for a few hours. Thank you for trusting me.’

‘You were a logical choice. After all, you’re the only pirate with captaincy experience. Believe me, one day Floor will see it too. We have a new mission, by the way, so you can immediately start proving yourself.’

‘What kind of mission?’

‘A real pirate’s mission,’ Sharon laughed. ‘They asked us to plunder a ship and bring back whatever we found. We can keep 20% and get rewarded afterwards. Floor and I accepted the mission, except that we’re not coming back, we’re just going to keep whatever we find on that ship. We’re still pirates, not privateers.’

‘You’re damn right!’

‘Now get off your lazy ass,’ Sharon smiled as she placed her hand on the redhead’s  knee. ‘You’re done bossing the men around, go get the ship ready.’

Charlotte did as she was told and got up. A protest sounded as she pulled the guitar from Merel’s hands, but eventually the younger pirate followed her sister’s example. They both helped the men bring all the food onboard, Charlotte slipping a banana in her pants when she saw her chance. She looked around to be sure no one had seen her – and that’s when her eye fell on Sharon again. A smile was playing on her lips as she complimented the pirates that had been fixing the railing, her hand patting their shoulders in approval. Sharon was the captain that was loved most by her crew. She was sweet and understanding and she earned their respect in a different way than Floor did, but that didn’t mean she was respected less. It was a beautiful sight. Charlotte promised herself that if she ever got her own crew again, she would follow Sharon’s example.


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn’t that Charlotte didn’t trust her captains, that was not the problem at all. The locator on the other hand…  Martijn was a very nice guy and probably also a loyal pirate, but he just seemed unable to find the ship they were chasing. Charlotte had been staring at the playful waves and an empty horizon without seeing another ship for hours. It couldn’t be that hard, they had all the information they needed: the name of the ship, its destiny, the route it would be following – and yet it was nowhere to be found.

For the first time she actually missed her own crew. All of her men knew it was unacceptable if something like this happened. They would have been looking for alternatives and for what went wrong hours ago, while Martijn did nothing. He was still convinced that they were going in the right direction and unlike Charlotte, Sharon and Floor believed him. If only it had been midnight instead of noon, Charlotte herself could have done something. She could read stars, read their stories, and if she listened well enough, they told her where on the ocean she was. But the sun, the biggest star of them all, did not want to talk to her.

Charlotte felt like the continuous moving of the waves might hypnotize her, especially since Merel’s melody accompanied the image once again. She felt like her mind and body were slowly taking their revenge for her lack of sleep. Her eyes were slowly losing the fight to fatigue and her mind was having a hard time focusing, until Emppu’s voice came from the crow’s nest. He sounded more than a little excited and Charlotte was suddenly wide awake when she heard the message.

‘I can see the ship!’

Charlotte looked up at him before turning around and looking in the same direction he was. There was nothing to see, just the same huge rocks that they’d been looking at for several hours now. The poor guy was probably getting so tired that he misjudged the rocks for the boat. Charlotte took a deep breath and prepared herself to shout at Emppu, but right in that moment she saw the crow’s nest of the other ship sticking out above the rocks. Maybe she should learn to have some patience…

The clicking of the captain’s boots sounded on the deck. The crew was filled with determination, Charlotte could almost see the adrenaline starting to rush through their bodies. They were shining with confidence, hands already resting on their swords. Charlotte remembered when she herself looked like that, the time before she started sinking ships just for fun, without even feeling anything.  


The attack did not go as planned, not entirely. The crew of the other ship seemed prepared, as if they knew they would be plundered. The men stood ready on the deck, swords in their hands as if they’d been waiting for them. The first men were already on the Flareon when Sharon could convince the other captain to call them back. The other men were outnumbered by the crew of the Flareon; it was a smart decision to surrender.

All pirates were needed to bring the loot onto the deck of the Flareon. There was a lot of food that Jeroen was looking forward to preparing. There was jewelry and art that would get them a lot of money if they could sell it in the next town. Besides that, most of the loot consisted of silver. Four big bags of it were carried onto the Flareon. The fabric of the bag cut into the skin of Charlotte’s hand, but she had her eyes set on the silver – it was so much, and it reflected the sun so beautifully that it almost made her heart skip a beat. Charlotte really couldn’t resist putting her hand into the pile of silver once she’d put down the bag. It had been so long since she had felt the cold metal on her skin… There was so much of it, more than she had ever had at once.

‘Hey!’

Charlotte flinched and quickly pulled her hand back. Her heart was racing in her chest as she turned to look Tuomas in the eye. She refused to call him T, just to annoy him, but right now didn’t seem a good moment to mock him. After all, he was the one with a sword and she just had her hand in a bag of silver.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’

‘Nothing, just feeling,’ Charlotte answered as she watched Tuomas come closer.

‘I’m watching you, redhead,’ Tuomas said. ‘If I find out you stole a single piece of this, I will kill you with my bare hands.’

With those words Tuomas left the storage room. His heavy footsteps still sounded as Merel entered the room, a smile glued on her lips. Merel was always happy when she was allowed to let her sword out of its case. Usually that didn’t bother Charlotte, but now her sister’s happiness was slightly annoying.

‘What’s with the long face, sis?’

‘Tuomas.’ Charlotte mumbled before she made her way towards the door, only to be stopped by her sister’s hand grabbing her arm.

‘What did he do?’

Merel’s face was no longer happy. Her voice was serious and her eyes ready to kill, or at least fight.

‘Nothing,’ Charlotte sighed. ‘It’s just, he walked in right I had my hand buried in that bag of silver.’

‘What… were you doing?’

‘I swear I wasn’t stealing! I was just feeling the silver because it had been so long… I was not stealing, I promise.’

‘It’s okay, I believe you,’ Merel said. ‘Just… don’t stick your hand into the silver anymore. You know T is a drama _and_ gossip queen. Come on, I want to see that captain’s face as we sail away with half his ship.’

A smirk played on the girl’s face and there was a twinkle in her eye as she said the last words. Charlotte smiled and shook her head as she followed her sister to the deck. She was lucky to have her little sister, she even owed her life to her, and once again she wondered how she’d managed to survive all those years without her little bear.


	3. Chapter 3

If there was such a thing as a typical pirate’s day, this was definitely it.

It was a very slow day. They had no clear destination for the moment and were just waiting to bump into a ship to plunder. Some of the crew were using this time to catch up on some sleep, others were working on their fighting skills. Charlotte was watching two pirates playing chess with improvised pieces. Everything on the ship was so peaceful, she’d never seen anything like this. Why had her father never taught her to play chess? Why had he never taught her that pirates can be peaceful and play innocent games?

Whenever she had a slow day at the Black Feather, her body had had been filled with stress and frustrations. Her men always found a way to annoy her, intentional or not. There was always some sort of tension between those sailors, something that was nowhere to be found on the Flareon. Floor and Sharon weren’t walking around, cursing everyone they saw. They were in their office, doing something that didn’t make any noise. Maybe they were playing their own game of chess.

‘CAPTAINS!’

The peace on the Flareon was disturbed when Emppu’s voice sounded. The panic in his voice was clear and the captains had heard it. They came rushing out of their office and immediately looked up at the crow’s nest.

‘What’s going on?!’

‘Fire!’ Emppu yelled back. ‘And parts of what once was a ship. One of the people on it is still alive, I think.’

‘What direction?’

‘East.’

‘We’re going to get it.’

There was no use arguing about it with Floor for Sharon – if they could save people, they did. Instructions were yelled and everyone traded their time-passing activities for their daily duties. Charlotte didn’t have a real duty yet. She just stood on the deck, looked for anyone that might need her help and then turned around to look into the direction they were heading.

It wasn’t long before the sky was filled with smoke. The flames became visible soon and pieces of the sunken ship followed. Bodies were carried past by the waves, waiting to be brought to the locker of Davy Jones. It was a true war zone, and in the middle of it all flooded one wounded man on a piece of driftwood. The crew reacted fast. They prepared a sloop and brought it into the water, rowing towards the man as fast as they could. Never before had Charlotte seen a person so happy and grateful to see pirates.

The man was brought on board and immediately fell to his knees in front of  Sharon and Floor, thanking them over and over again for saving him. Charlotte had to bite her lips as she saw the reactions of her captains. Sharon just smiled, but Floor was clearly annoyed by the man.

‘Can you please just get up and tell us what happened to you?’ Floor eventually interrupted him.

‘Oh, yes, yes,’ the man said as he crawled back to his feet. ‘It was horrible. The Black Feather, we had no chance. There was no mercy, they killed everyone. I saw all my friends die, it was so horrible!’

Charlotte felt the blood in her body turning into ice. The Black Feather had done this. The pirates that had learned everything from _her_ had done this. _She_ had done this, countless times, before the Flareon had changed her life.

‘It’s her!’

Charlotte was pulled from her thoughts as the shout sounded. Fear was written all over the face of the wounded man as he looked at her, the finger he pointed at her was shaking. For a second Charlotte felt just as scared as he looked.

‘It’s Charlotte Wessels! The captain of the Black Feather! She’s here!’

Charlotte did not know what to do. She was frozen, glued to the wooden floor of the deck. Right now she was innocent, but just seeing her face or hearing her name was still enough to instill people with fear. She felt the urge to apologize to the man. For scaring him, for training the men that killed his friends, maybe even for being born. Her mind wanted so many things, but she was unable to move as the man was guided inside to get his wound fixed. She just stared at him, then at the door that was closed behind him, eventually at Sharon that walked towards her.

‘I need to apologize to him,’ Charlotte said without actually looking at her captain.

‘For what? Not sinking his ship?’

‘I trained the people who did. I taught them how to kill innocent people like his friends.’

‘Charlotte, if you want to apologize to everyone on this ship alone, it will already take a long time.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Have you ever wondered why our crew is so big?’ Sharon asked. ‘Your sister wanted to be a pirate so she joined us in a town, but almost all of the others joined us at sea. We found most of them after their ships were sent to the bottom of the ocean. It was mostly your work. You sunk their ships, you killed their friends, and now they live on the same ship as you.’

‘You-you saved them?’

‘Just like we saved you. With the difference that if it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have had to save them.’

‘Well that for sure explains why they hate me…’

‘Be careful, okay?’ Sharon said as she placed her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. ‘I am giving you another chance, but I don’t know if they are willing to give you one.’

Charlotte only nodded before she looked at the leftovers of the ship that were slowly carried away by the waves. Never before had she seen things from this view –  she had always turned her back to the ravaged wreck she left behind, already planning the next attack. Now that she finally saw what her actions had done, it made her realize again that she had made many bad decisions in her life and she wondered if this time it was Sharon who had made the bad decision. She didn’t deserve this second chance.


	4. Chapter 4

It only took one sleepless night to make Charlotte feel like she hadn’t slept in a week. Her mind just couldn’t stop thinking. About her past, about how different it could have been. About the pirates of the Flareon, about what she had done to them and what they might want to do to her. What if they would work together to get revenge? Merel would defend her, maybe Sharon too, but would they be able to stop a group of pirates filled with vengeance?

Charlotte had no words to describe how she felt, simply because she had never felt like this before. Only a few weeks ago she had been the most feared pirate alive, filled with confidence and power. Right now she felt the complete opposite, she didn’t even _want_ to be feared anymore. What did that make her? Weak? Vulnerable? Or just human?

She was surrounded by silence, forced to listen to her own thoughts. Because she had no real duty yet, Charlotte could easily just stay in her hammock and do nothing but think all day, even if that was not what she wanted. She wanted to be distracted, but being on the deck was not an option – the waves only reminded her of the sunken ship. But then again, the new member of the crew entering the sleeping compartment did the same. She sighed as she saw him, not wanting to deal with his scared and angry face, but she was surprised when he walked straight towards her.

‘So, I heard you aren’t the captain of the Black Feather anymore?’ he asked as he grabbed a chair and sat down next to her hammock.

‘You’re right, I’m not. I live on this ship now.’

‘Then I guess I owe you an apology. I’m Stefan,’ he said as he offered his hand to shake. Charlotte took it. ‘So, what’s your position on this ship? Full-time sleeper?’

‘I don’t have a daily duty yet. What about you? What did you do on your ship?’

‘I was the locator. We were on our way to a treasure, you know. We discovered the location of this beautiful big treasure. Rumor has it that it was your father’s, the treasure of the great Blondbeard.’

‘If you mean the treasure in the Dead Man’s Cave, I’ll have to disappoint you, it’s not there anymore.’

‘I know,’ Stefan grinned, revealing a silver tooth. ‘This is the new location of the treasure. I thought it was you who’d found a new home for your father’s treasure, but it turns out it was your crew. This can be your chance to get it back.’

‘I’m not the captain of this ship. You’ll have to talk to Sharon and Floor about that.’

Charlotte leaned back in her hammock, but she felt a new fire burning inside her. She could get her father’s treasure back. Would it count as revenge if she stole it back from her crew? She had learned revenge was never sweet, it always held a bitter aftertaste, no matter how justified it might be. But she really wanted that treasure back, she owed it to her sister. The only thing Merel had of their father was his diary. She had _seen_ his treasure, but that was the closest she had ever come to it. She owed it to Merel.

Charlotte totally ignored Stefan as he got up and left the sleeping compartment, probably to find the captains and tell them about the treasure. Part of her wanted to go with him, convince Sharon and Floor to go after the treasure. The other part reminded her that she had no authority on this ship, and it was this part of her that eventually won. She just closed her eyes and took in the silence again, quickly regretting not going with Stefan.

‘There she is!’

Heavy footsteps sounded and stormed into the sleeping compartment. Charlotte sat up so fast she almost fell out of her hammock, but eventually managed to land on her feet. The pirates were angry and Charlotte could only guess why. Luckily for her, they were happy to tell her.

‘Where’s the silver?!’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Quit the act, redhead,’ Tuomas gritted as he stood in front of the group. ‘You had your hand in that bag of silver last week. Today, there’s silver missing. We might not be captains, but we’re still clever enough to figure this out.’

‘Are you implying that I stole it?’

‘We know you did. Come on, give it back and jump off the ship. You know that’s best for everyone.’

Charlotte did not know what to answer, simply because they were right. She didn’t steal the silver, but everyone would be better off without her. Without her, most of these people would still have their friends and family, without her they would probably have been happier. She watched the men fantasizing about ways to kill her as they came closer, their faces more determined than she’d ever seen them.

‘Hey!’

Merel might be short, but her voice was very loud and booming. It was so powerful it was able to stop the group of pirates and make them turn around. Her sword was in her hand as she made her way towards Charlotte and stood between her sister and the pirates. She was filled with just as much rage as the men.

‘She did not steal anything! She was in here all night and day, she did not steal anything. If you want to get to her, you’ll have to go through me and you know I will not hesitate for even a single second to cut your throat.’

For a second Tuomas and Merel just stared at each other. The grip of the young pirate on her sword was so firm her knuckles had turned white. It was obvious that she really was prepared to kill. Tuomas seemed to consider options for a moment, but then he turned around. He made his way towards the deck again, followed by the rest of the crew. Merel sighed in relief as she put her sword back in its holster and turned around to face her sister.

‘Please tell me you didn’t steal that silver.’

‘I swear I did not steal the silver,’ Charlotte said, looking Merel straight in the eye. ‘Merel, why would I? You, Sharon and Floor saved my life, you gave me another chance. I owe all three of you so much, why would I do something to betray you?’

‘Because you’re a pirate.’

‘So are you,’ Charlotte smiled. ‘I swear, Merel, on our father’s soul. I do not want to hurt the Flareon in any way and I did not steal the silver.’

‘If it’s on father’s soul, I have no choice but to believe you, have I? Speaking about father by the way, Stefan said he knows where his treasure is now. Sharon and Floor are going after it again and they made him the temporary locator. Martijn isn’t really happy about it.’

‘I can imagine.’

Both sisters smiled at each other before Merel left again. The smile was still on Charlotte’s face as she leaned back in her hammock, her arms stretched above her. She caught a glimpse of the new tattoos on her wrists and suddenly she knew that everything would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

A pirate ship was a scary place at night. The wood cracked as the boat was rocked by the waves, the wind howled as if it wanted to make everyone aware of possible danger. After all, it was a ship filled with fearless pirates. Footsteps sounded on the deck, nothing unusual since there always was one pirate to guard the ship at night. Possible danger was in every corner of the dark, both on the boat and in the water. Pirates were unpredictable, but so was mother nature and sometimes, those two things were the same.

The fire burning in the pirate’s eyes was almost visible as he sneaked through the sleeping compartments. His feet were cold as death but putting on his shoes wasn’t an option. Tiny wood splinters penetrated his skin with every step, leaving a nearly invisible trail of blood. He was in pain, but he still chose this over wearing his boots and possibly waking any of the other sailors. As silently as possible, he avoided the many hammocks, having his eyes set on the one in the back. As he came closer, he held his breath and tightened his grip on the knife. He was going to be the hero of this ship.

Charlotte’s eyes shot open when she noticed a presence next to her. The ship was dark, but the face of the pirate next to her hammock was clearly visible. And so was the knife in his hand. Her pulse shot up immediately, but the rest of her body was frozen by fear. She could hear the man grin, see him lift the hand with the knife and smell his rotten breath. And then everything changed.

The look on the man’s face turned from determination into surprise. His breath faltered and slowly, he lowered the knife again as the light in his eyes faded. Charlotte could almost see the life leaving his body before he sank down on his knees. Her chest hurt from her pounding heart and holding her breath. This had to be a nightmare. Her mind was playing tricks on her, punishing her for not sleeping. This was not real. The man next to her hammock was not real, her sister’s sword sticking out of his back was not real, Merel standing next to her was not real – but the fear was more than real.

It was only when Merel moved and placed her hand on Charlotte’s shoulder that she rememberd to breathe again and the realization sunk in. This was not a dream. Someone had actually tried to kill her in her sleep, someone she was supposed to trust. She knew very well that almost all men on the ship hated her and that she deserved to die, and yet she was more scared than ever. Charlotte had no control over the tears that were running down her cheeks. She could remember the last time she’d cried very well, but it had been nothing compared to this. Her father had given her time to prepare for his death, but no one had warned her for her own. She had faced Death more than once but this was the first time he visited her when she was vulnerable and unaware. Years of bottled frustrations and sadness were finally released into the arms of her sister. Every sob hurt her deep inside and she buried her face in Merel’s shirt, the young pirate’s voice barely reaching her as the captains entered the cabin. Even with her face buried in her sister’s shirt, Charlotte could see the lights of the candles they were carrying, and she knew they would discover the dead pirate soon.

‘What’s going on here?!’ Floor demanded, irritated because they had interrupted her sleep. But when Sharon’s voice sounded it was clear they had found the bloodied body.

‘What happened here?!’

‘It’s Kai. He tried to kill Charlotte,’ Merel said without releasing her sister. ‘So I killed him. You told me you want a crew that respects each other. He obviously didn’t.’

‘Are you okay, Charlotte?’

Charlotte didn’t react, it took her a few seconds to process that Sharon was actually talking to her. She’d calmed down but still had her face buried in Merel’s shirt. She didn’t know, couldn’t decide whether she was okay or not, whether she should shake her head or nod.

‘I don’t know,’ she eventually managed to utter. ‘I think I am, maybe.’

Charlotte wasn’t clearly aware of what happened next. Footsteps and whispers echoed through the space, she suspected that Kai’s body was dragged away, and then everything turned silent again. Merel drew slow circles on her back with her fingers like their father used to, a memory that made her smile faintly again.

‘Can you move a bit?’

‘Eh, yeah, I think so,’ Charlotte mumbled as she pulled back from the hug.

Moving in a hammock wasn’t easy, but they still managed to make it work. Merel luckily didn’t take up a lot of space as she joined her sister in her bed and immediately hugged her again. It was exactly what Charlotte needed.

‘Thank you.’

‘That’s what sisters are for.’

‘I understand that they want to kill me,’ Charlotte whispered. ‘They all hate me, hell, even I hate me. I did so many bad things and I regret every single one of them. I know there’s no way that I can make up for ruining their lives, but I wish I could tell them how incredibly sorry I am.’

‘Don’t hate yourself. Yes, you did some bad things, but you’re not a bad person. In fact, you’re the best big sister I could have wished for.’

Charlotte smiled as Merel grabbed her wrist and started tracing the lines of the tattoo. The stars of Ursa Major on her left wrist, Ursa Minor on her right. Exactly the same as Merel. The little bear and the great bear reunited, to never be parted again. She would do everything for Merel, even though Merel had been the one to protect her and it felt like she was the little sister now.


	6. Chapter 6

Charlotte was very aware that everyone was looking at her, or trying to pretend they weren’t. She’d been standing in front of the wooden door for a few minutes now without moving, but she knew that was not the main reason they were staring. Every pirate on board probably hated her even more now –  after all, it had been her fault that they had to bury a crewmate. They all would have been a lot happier if it had been her body that was thrown overboard instead.

Most of all, Charlotte just wanted to hide in her hammock like she had done all day. Merel had promised her to stay with her and so, for the first time in almost four days, she had been able to actually get some sleep. In return, she had to promise her sister that she would talk to Sharon – and that promise was the only reason she was still standing here. Yes, there were things she wanted to tell Sharon, but she did not actually wanted to _say_ them. If only she could communicate with her captain like Floor could.

She took a single deep breath and then finally knocked on the door. For a second she feared her knock had sounded noticeably reluctant, and all confidence she had collected that day faded as she entered the office. Sharon smiled at her and put down her feather as she watched her pirate. She waited for Charlotte to say something, but eventually took the first step herself as the redhead stayed silent.

‘How are you feeling, Charlie?’

Charlotte smiled lightly when she heard the nickname. She liked the name; it was as if she was telling her it was okay to not be Charlotte. Charlotte was strong and fierce and had bad ideas, Charlie was allowed to be insecure and to not be okay. Yes, she really liked Charlie.

‘I don’t know,’ she answered honestly. ‘Someone tried to kill me, but I’m lucky to have a sister like Merel.’

‘I’m glad to hear that. What can I do for you?’

‘Nothing. You and Floor have done enough for me. I’m so grateful that you took me in and protect me, I’d like to do something back. Maybe I can take over Kai’s duties?’

‘I don’t think that would be a good idea,’ Sharon said. ‘I don’t think you being in control of the cannons would be good for anyone. But I appreciate the offer, I’m sure we’ll find something that works for everyone.’

‘This ship is a mess!’

Sharon and Charlotte both looked up as Floor entered the office. She seemed to completely ignore the guest and sat down angrily on the chair in the corner of the room. Without a second thought she grabbed a bottle of rum and took a big gulp before looking at Sharon. It was as if the other captain had been waiting for this sign.

‘What happened?’

‘Mike is ill, and as you know no one else wants to spend the entire night in the crow’s nest, so we don’t have anyone to guard the ship at night.’

‘I can do it,’ Charlotte offered. ‘I mean, I slept all day, I can easily stay awake all night. Besides, if I’m up there at least I’m sure I won’t be killed.’

Sharon looked at her fellow captain and smiled as Floor made a slight gesture with her hand. It was just a small movement, but it was enough for Sharon to understand her. Charlotte had no idea what it meant until Sharon spoke again.

‘Thank you very much Charlie, we appreciate it a lot. Just let Emppu know you’ll take over and he’ll call you when it’s your watch.’

 

It had been a long time since Charlotte had felt like this. The wind was playing with her hair, the moon was smiling at her and the waves whispered stories she’d never heard before. She was safe up in the crow’s nest, almost as if she was on cloud nine. The wind was louder than the stories of the ocean, but that didn’t matter to Charlotte. There was another story that was more important, and right now she was closer to it than she had ever been.  
She felt like she could almost touch the stars. She stretched out her arms and smiled as the tattoos on her wrists lined up with the actual stars. Ursa Major and its twin, Ursa Minor and its twin. She could almost see the bears playing together, all four of them, but then she remembered that even the original bears had never played together.  
Ursa Major, once a beautiful woman named Callisto, was turned into a bear after she slept with Jupiter by his jealous wife. Ursa Minor, once Callisto’s son Arcas, was turned into a bear by Jupiter himself. Arcas had almost killed his mother, but by turning him into a bear and placing both of them in the sky, Jupiter prevented the tragedy. They got a second chance, forever at each other’s side, just like Charlotte and Merel.

There was still one thing that bothered Charlotte. Callisto had not done anything wrong, she was turned into a bear as an act of unrightful vengeance. Arcas on the other hand had been a hunter, just like Charlotte was before she got her second chance. Ursa Major protected Ursa Minor like any mother would, but Charlotte didn’t look after Merel, it was the other way around. Merel was the one protecting her, while Charlotte was the one that had been the hunter – she was the Ursa Minor.

Charlotte was pulled from her thoughts as she noticed a pirate wandering over the deck. It was the middle of the night, why would anyone still be awake? Usually she would just ignore it, but she still had to figure out who was stealing silver to make her look suspicious. This might be her chance and she was not going to let it pass. Her muscles protested as she climbed down and followed the pirate inside, recognizing Stefan as he passed the light of a candle against the wall. Carefully she tiptoed behind him and her heart started beating faster when she realized he was making his way towards the storage room. It was him. He was the one stealing the silver. All she had to do was catch him while he was doing it and her name would be cleared.

Unfortunately, the crew of the Flareon had other plans. Right when she wanted to follow Stefan into the storage room, the door of the dining room flew open and a few of the men stumbled out. Charlotte could almost smell the rum wafting from them, and by the raucous way they were singing she could easily conclude they were drunk. Two of them dragged themselves up from the floor and seemed to be surprised to find themselves on the deck. As gently as possible, they dragged their friend inside again, yelling that they had found a new magical world outside.

Charlotte returned her attention to the storage room as the door fell shut behind them. Carefully she entered the room and looked around, but there was no trace to be found of Stefan. There was food, silver and art, but not a single living creature besides herself.


	7. Chapter 7

The party of the previous evening had obviously been a good one. The sun wasn’t able to wake up the few pirates that had fallen asleep on the deck. Some had found their way to their hammocks, but by now they were leaning over the railing of the ships to empty their stomachs. Charlotte still didn’t know what they had been celebrating, or if they had just been drinking for fun, but it had definitely been a waste of rum.

Merel also hadn’t been invited to the party, which meant that she too was among the few pirates who were able to stand upright without support. All pirates with a clear head had been running around all morning to get all usual tasks done. Helping Jeroen in the kitchen, cleaning the dining room and the deck, checking the cannons… Charlotte was glad when she finally could sit down; after all, she had been awake all night.

‘I’m surprised to see you’re still awake,’ Merel smiled as she sat down next to her, her guitar in her hand as usual.

‘I don’t dare close my eyes without you near.’

A smile played on Charlotte’s lips as she said it, but she could only wish she were joking. She really didn’t dare to sleep without her sister by her side to protect her. Not only did Merel scare possible murderers away, she could also wake Charlotte up when she got caught in a nightmare.

‘Have you seen Stefan?’

‘I don’t think so,’ Merel smiled. ‘I’ve been annoying every hungover pirate with my music, but I haven’t seen Stefan. Why?’

‘I saw him yesterday. He was sneaking around and I followed him into the storage room but there I lost him. He just disappeared.’

‘That’s suspicious,’ Merel mumbled. ‘I’m going to look for him.

‘Merel no, don’t, just leave it. It’s probably nothing.’

‘What happened to you? Where’s your sense of adventure?’

‘I guess that’s reserved only for the great bear.’

‘What?’

‘Never mind,’ Charlotte smiled as she looked at the horizon.

For a second,  she’d forgotten that she was the only one aware of her thoughts. Merel didn’t know about her big realization of the previous night – that her little sister had just taken over the role of the Ursa Major when Charlotte couldn’t take it anymore. It proved once again that they had a very special bond.

‘Charlie?’

Charlotte looked away from the ocean again as she felt her sister’s hand on her knee. It was the first time that she noticed that Merel’s eyes held the color of sea. Worries and love floated between the waves in her eyes underneath the sparkle of excitement, or maybe that was just the reflection of the sun.

‘Hmm?’

‘I love you. You know that, right?’

Charlotte could almost feel her heart melting. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had told her those words. She knew that her father had loved her, but she couldn’t remember him saying it once. Her mother had probably often said it, but back then she didn’t know how long she would have to go without hearing those words. Merel loved her, and she was not afraid to say or show it.

‘I love you too,’ Charlotte said as she grabbed her sister’s hand.  
It was the first time ever those words left her lips.

For a moment it felt like the ocean knew what kind of special moment was going on. The waves had calmed down, the wind was barely a whisper. It was as if they were shocked that Charlotte, once the most feared pirate alive, was capable of love. It was just a few seconds of peace, and then everything returned to normal. A seagull flew over their heads, the wind freed a strand of Charlotte’s hair from her ponytail, footsteps sounded and announced Floor coming their way.

‘Charlie, are you busy with anything at the moment?’ the captain asked calmly.

‘No, not really.’

‘Good. Emppu fell asleep in the crow’s nest, can you please wake him up and take over for a few hours? I promise we’re looking for a solution.’

‘Oh, yes, of course.’

‘Great!’ Floor said as she turned around, but she turned back before walking away, as if she’d forgotten something. ‘Oh, and Charlie, thank you.’

Once again Charlotte smiled as she heard words she’d only dreamed of. Floor had always been careful around her, as if she suspected Charlotte to turn back to the bad side any second. But right now she was thanking her, calling her by the nickname that comforted her, maybe even trusting her.

With a great feeling and a smile on her lips, Charlotte climbed up to the crow’s nest and woke Emppu. First she tried just calling his name, but it eventually took a punch to the arm to pull him from his slumber. He seemed to be surprised to see her, and if she were honest, she couldn’t blame him. No one ever climbed up here unless they really had to. Emppu didn’t seem to mind that he was called down –  until Floor started yelling at him for falling asleep during his duty. Charlotte could follow it all from her safe spot, close to the now invisible stars.

She liked it up here. From this spot she could see how the ship finally came to life. She could watch the hungover pirates slowly becoming themselves again and being yelled at by their captains. She could see Merel’s concentrated face as she tried to find a new melody on her guitar, and she was very happy that she couldn’t hear the instrument at this height.

If Emppu had been awake, he would have noticed that they were close to their destination. The rocks that marked the spot where her father’s treasure would be according to Stefan were clearly visible. Charlotte’s heart stopped beating for a second when she saw them. It wasn’t because of the treasure that may or may not be there. She knew it was there. It was because right next to the rocks, there was another ship – and Charlotte would recognize the Black Feather anywhere.


	8. Chapter 8

The Flareon was as prepared as a ship could be. Every cannon was loaded and ready to fire, pirates were lined up next to the captains, everyone armed with a sword or pistol. It was the first time she’d ever seen Sharon and Floor with a sword, but for some reason Charlotte was sure that they would be better fighters than her. The weapon in her hand almost felt uncomfortable. Not only because this sword was not her own –  it had also been over a year since she had last held one. She was not looking forward to fighting at all.

Charlotte’s heart was racing as they came closer to the Black Feather. She was surprised when her former crew didn’t immediately attack, something they’d always done when she was in charge. The men just stood on the deck, smiling as they waited for the Flareon, their swords not drawn yet. The pirates of the Flareon looked at their captains as they waited for their orders and Charlotte could feel that no one knew what was going on.

For a minute it was silent. No captain spoke a word, not a single pirate moved. The ocean didn’t care and just danced on. Charlotte wasn’t surprised to see that Otto had taken her place as captain of the Black Feather, and she didn’t doubt that he made a good captain.

‘How have you been?’ Otto asked with a grin.

No one answered. Who was he talking to? The captains of the Flareon? Was he talking to her?

‘Great,’ A male voice eventually spoke. ‘Everything went like you planned it.’

Charlotte could see how everyone lowered their swords as Stefan stepped forward. Confidently he jumped onto the other ship and shook Otto’s hand with a smile.

‘I also brought you something extra.’

Charlotte felt her blood boiling as Stefan handed over a bag of silver. She knew it had been him, she just hadn’t been able to prove it. He almost got her killed, but now everyone could see she was innocent. It obviously wasn’t a good sign if someone was willing to forgive her.

‘Good job, probie,’ Otto smiled. ‘The Flareon is here and some nice extra silver, you could say you passed your test. Now, I’m going to kill the betrayer.  You guys can have the rest.’

Otto stared at Charlotte as he spoke and when he finished his sentence, all hell broke loose. The pirates of the Black Feather  released a battle cry and drew their swords before storming onto the Flareon. In the corner of her eye Charlotte could see her sister running towards her, but she was stopped by another pirate blocking her way. Before Charlotte had the chance to even think about helping Merel, she saw Otto coming her way. This was it, she was going to die. There was no way she could win a battle against the Black Feather’s best pirate.

Charlotte decided she wasn’t even going to fight him. She had always trusted Otto and he’d only used it against her once. He’d tied her up and left her on an island while sailing away with her ship. She was supposed to die and now he was here to finish the job. She didn’t blame him, she deserved to die. The only thing Charlotte hoped was that he would kill her fast, she didn’t want Merel to see it.

Everyone around them was fighting; it was only when Charlotte was sure that her sister was preoccupied that she looked Otto right in the eye. With a simple gesture, she threw her sword aside and surrendered. She was ready to die.

Charlotte closed her eyes and waited for the pain. She waited a second, two seconds, three, and then a shout sounded. Confused, the redhead opened her eyes again and she was surprised when she saw four pirates running towards Otto. Without a second though,t Ruud buried his sword in Otto’s body, the swords of the other pirates followed soon. Otto fell down, his body probably already lifeless before it touched the floor. The four pirates all spat on the lifeless body and Charlotte stared at them in surprise. Did they just protect her?

‘I-I don’t know what to say…’ Charlotte stammered as Ruud stepped towards her.

‘Don’t mention it, it was a pirate’s deal.’

Since the battle was still raging on, the pirates hurried to help other members of the crew and Charlotte turned around to her sister. She saw Merel leaning over Stefan’s body.  It was unclear to her whether the other pirate was still alive or not.

‘STOP! WE SURRENDER!’

As soon as the words were shouted, everyone lowered their weapons. The men of the Black Feather held their hands up as they fell to their knees, something she’d never see them do before. Maybe Otto hadn’t been that great of a captain after all.

Charlotte was glad to see Merel, Floor and Sharon were all okay. The crew of the Flareon gathered around the other pirates and it was clear now that Stefan had lost his battle against Merel. The two corpses were ignored, everyone had their eyes set on the captains.

‘Charlotte, it’s up to you,’ Floor spoke. ‘These are your men, what do we do with them?’

This was a position Charlotte had never wanted to be in again. The lives of several people in her hands. Life or death, her decision. A choice she was not willing to make.

‘They’re not my men. I’m not their captain anymore.’

‘They can be yours again. Every ship needs a captain. This ship has no captain, you are a captain.’

For a moment Charlotte actually believed there was a god. She was given the chance to be the boss again, another chance to be a good captain. It was her own ship that was offered to her again, the ship that she was born on and had lived on for almost her entire life. No other pirate would hesitate a single second, and neither did Charlotte. She had already made her decision.

‘I _was_ a captain.’ She answered. ‘I don’t want the ship back, it only reminds me of everything I’ve done. I promised Merel I would never leave her again, and I know she’ll never leave this ship. So I’m staying too. You can have it. You can have my ship, so you no longer have to share one with Sharon.’

‘No way,’ Sharon and Floor answered at the same time.

‘Sharon and I made a deal, we’re running this ship together until the day it sinks. Alright, if anyone wants a ship, come to our office. And someone get rid of the bodies.’

With those words Sharon and Floor ended the war, just as sudden as it had started.

 

For the first time in a very long while, Charlotte felt that she had made the right decision. Merel was standing right beside her at the bow of the ship, a magical spot. Together they watched Charlotte’s past sailing away. Tuomas had volunteered to take over the ship and shown mercy to the surviving pirates. He had saved their lives, and decided to keep them on as his new crew. A few pirates from the Flareon had followed him and together they would give Charlotte’s ship a new start. A new captain, a new crew, a new name, a new adventure. The Islander sailed away, taking her past and bad decisions with it, and Charlotte felt like she could finally have a new beginning. She could finally start her story as the Ursa Minor.


End file.
